Earth’s Movement
The Earth moves in two different ways in space.
The Earth rotates and revolves.
Revolution
(orbit)
365.25 days
Rotation (spin)
24 hours
Earth’s Rotation
There is an imaginary line
through the center of the Earth
called the axis.
The axis extends from north
to south.
The axis is at a tilt of
23.5 degrees.
Earth’s Rotation
It takes the Earth 24 hours, or 1 day, to complete one rotation on its axis.
When the side of the Earth that is facing the Sun is experiencing
daytime, the side of the Earth that is facing away from the
Sun is experiencing night-time.
The Sun
The Sun rotates on its axis.
The Sun rises
in the east.
The Sun sets
in the west.
The Earth’s rotation makes the Sun appear to move across the sky,
but the Earth is actually rotating.
Give It a Try
You will need:
• A flashlight,
lamp or
window
• A globe
1. Hold the globe next to the
light source.
2. Find where you live on the globe.
3. Turn off the lights.
4. Point to where the axis is on the
Earth (remember the Earth is tilted
on its axis).
5. Rotate the Earth counterclockwise to
model day and night.
Earth’s Revolution
The Earth revolves around
the Sun.
This takes approximately 365
days, or 1 year.
The path the Earth takes
around the sun is called
Earth’s ‘orbit’.
The Earth’s orbit is in an
elliptical shape.
Seasons in the Northern Hemisphere
The seasons are created through the combination of the
Earth’s revolution and the tilt of the axis.
When the
northern
hemisphere of
the Earth is
tilted away
from the Sun,
people in
the these
regions are
experiencing
winter.
Autumn
Spring
Winter
Summer
Summer
Winter
Spring
Autumn
When the
northern
hemisphere of
the Earth is
tilted toward
the Sun,
people in these
regions are
experiencing
summer.
Seasons in the Southern Hemisphere
The seasons are created through the combination of the
Earth’s revolution and the tilt of the axis.
When the
southern
hemisphere of
the Earth is
tilted away
from the Sun,
people in
the these
regions are
experiencing
winter.
Autumn
Spring
Winter
Summer
Summer
Winter
Spring
Autumn
When the
souther
hemisphere of
the Earth is
tilted toward
the Sun,
people in these
regions are
experiencing
summer.
Can You Revolve?
You will need:
• A partner
• A little space to move
1. Have one friend represent the
Earth, and the other friend
represent the Sun.
2. The ‘Sun’ will stand still, while
the ‘Earth’ revolves around the sun.
3. Switch roles with your partner
and try it again.
Do You Know the Difference?
Explain to your partner how rotation and revolution are different.
Try to use as many of these key words as possible:
axis
spin
seasons
year
orbit
tilt
day
night